crawfish

Noun

1. (Louisiana, Southern-US, Texas, US, Western, countable, especially, uncountable) Any of various freshwater crustaceans: crayfish.
2. (South-Africa, countable, uncountable) Any of various marine crustaceans, rock lobster; especially Jasus lalandii, the Cape crawfish.
3. (Canada, Quebec, countable, derogatory, slang, uncountable) An English-Canadian. Used in some corners of Quebec (including the Gaspé).

Verb

1. (intransitive) To fish for crawfish.
2. (Southern-US, colloquial, intransitive) To backpedal, desert or withdraw (also used with out).

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkɹɒˌfɪʃ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: crevis

Cognate with Old French: crevice

Cognate with French: écrevisse

In summary

1620s, folk etymology from Middle English crevis, from Old French crevice (French écrevisse), influenced by fish. Compare crayfish.

Synonyms

crayfish

crawdad

crawfish out

ecrevisse

back out

crawdaddy

sea crawfish

back away

langouste

withdraw

spiny lobster

pull back

retreat

prawn

rock lobster

crayfish

crab

🦀

pull in one’s horns

retire

get out

shellfish

shrimp

🦐

fall back

draw back

backpedal

crustacean

craw daddy

resile

Cancer

♋

spiny lobsters

Astacus

back

🔙

rock lobsters

Old World crayfish

back up

back off

back down

lobster

🦞

Translations

écrevisse

Krebs

rak

καραβίδα

rivierkreeft

Languste

langosta

🦞

Astacus

lagostim

lagosta

جراد البحر

langouste

cangrejo

🦀

Flusskrebs

langusta